European Forest Policy in Norway

Climate, energy and water will be the focus areas of Europe's key forest co-operation and collaboration process, which Norway is going to chair for the next four years. Norway's Forestry Minister, Lars Peder Brekk, has taken over as Europe's new "forest guardian".

• Press release from the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE)

New work programme
Norway has established a Secretariat to facilitate the MCPFE, and this office is going to foster the development of the forest policy in Europe. The last meeting of the member states held recently in Oslo settled the work programme. High-priority topics are the elaboration of principles for sustainable production of bio-energy and biofuel from forests, to enhance the role of forests in mitigating climate change, and in securing water supplies and protecting against droughts and floods.